Sirach 46:1-10

Common English Bible

46 Joshua, Nun’s son,
was powerful in battle,
        and he was Moses’ successor
        in prophecy.
    As his name suggests,
    he was mighty
    to deliver the Lord’s chosen ones,
        and to take revenge on enemies
        when they rose against them,
        so that he might give Israel
        an inheritance.
² How glorious he was
when he raised his hands
    and when he extended his sword
    against cities!
³ Who among those who came before
stood as he did?
    Indeed, he fought the Lord’s wars.
⁴ Wasn’t the sun restrained by his hand,
    and one day lasted for two?
⁵ He called upon the Most High,
the mighty one,
    when his enemies pressed in on him
    from every side,
        and the great Lord responded to him
        with hailstones of mighty power.
⁶ He rushed headlong against a nation
in battle,
    and on a hill he destroyed those
    who opposed him,
        so that the nations might know
        how well-equipped he was,
    because his war was fought
    in the Lord’s presence.
    Indeed, he was a follower
    of the mighty one.
⁷ In the days of Moses
he performed acts of mercy,
    he and Caleb, Jephunneh’s son.
They opposed the congregation,
    restrained the people from sin,
    and put an end
    to their wicked grumbling.
⁸ So out of six hundred thousand soldiers,
        the two were spared to lead the people into their inheritance,
            into a land full of milk and honey.
⁹ The Lord gave Caleb strength,
    and it remained with him
    until he was old,
    so that he went up to the highlands,
    and his descendants had it
    as an inheritance.
¹⁰ In this way, all the Israelites
    could see that it is a good thing
    to follow the Lord.